{"id":468,"date":"2026-10-12T11:51:47","date_gmt":"2026-10-12T11:51:47","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/lakesidecofc.com\/?p=468"},"modified":"2026-10-12T11:51:47","modified_gmt":"2026-10-12T11:51:47","slug":"escape-clause","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/lakesidecofc.com\/index.php\/2026\/10\/12\/escape-clause\/","title":{"rendered":"Escape Clause"},"content":{"rendered":"

Ponder: Commitment<\/span><\/p>\n

Scripture: \u201cI have inclined my heart to perform Your statutes forever, to the very end\u201d (Psa. 119:112, NKJV).<\/span><\/p>\n

Escape clause: \u201ca part of a contract that allows a person to get out of the contract in a particular situation\u201d (Webster\u2019s online dictionary). This can be a good thing. A home purchased with a VA loan must have a \u201cVA escape clause\u201d in the contract.<\/span><\/p>\n

Commitment to Christ, however, has no escape clause. Jesus will not accept this proposition: \u201cI\u2019ll try Christianity, but if I don\u2019t like it, I\u2019ll drop out.\u201d Peter made it clear: \u201cThe latter end is worse for them than the beginning. For it would have been better for them not to have known the way of righteousness, than having known it, to turn from the holy commandment delivered to them\u201d (2 Pet. 2:20-21).<\/span><\/p>\n

We have assurance of salvation \u201cif we hold the beginning of our confidence steadfast to the end\u201d (Heb. 3:14). There\u2019s a reason the inspired writer chose the word \u201cif.\u201d Just ask yourself: \u201cWhat \u2018if\u2019 I don\u2019t hold fast the beginning of my confidence? Would I still be a partaker of Christ?\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Jesus didn\u2019t give the church at Ephesus an escape clause. \u201cBe faithful unto death, and I will give you the crown of life\u201d (Rev. 2:10, ESV). Some translations miss the point with the reading, \u201cuntil death.\u201d While longevity is important, Jesus\u2019 emphasis was on faithfulness even when it might cost you your life. The NIV gives a good paraphrase: \u201cBe faithful, even to the point of death.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Fortunately for us, Jesus isn\u2019t looking for an escape clause relative to our salvation. We confidently commit ourselves to Him because we know and trust Him to be faithful. \u201cI know Him whom I have believed, and I am persuaded that He is able to guard that which I have committed unto Him against that day\u201d (2 Tim. 1:12, ASV).<\/span><\/p>\n

Don\u2019t look for an escape clause!<\/span><\/p>\n

Hymn: \u201cI Know Whom I Have Believed\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Prayer: Father, may we never seek a way to evade faithfulness. In Jesus\u2019 name, Amen.<\/span><\/p>\n

Joe Slater<\/span><\/p>\n

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Ponder: Commitment Scripture: \u201cI have inclined my heart to perform Your statutes forever, to the very end\u201d (Psa. 119:112, NKJV). Escape clause: \u201ca part of a contract that allows a person to get out of the contract in a particular situation\u201d (Webster\u2019s online dictionary). This…<\/p>\n

Continue Reading… Escape Clause<\/span><\/a><\/div>\n","protected":false},"author":1,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[1],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-468","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","hentry","category-uncategorized","wpcat-1-id"],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/lakesidecofc.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/468","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/lakesidecofc.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/lakesidecofc.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lakesidecofc.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/1"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lakesidecofc.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=468"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/lakesidecofc.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/468\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":469,"href":"https:\/\/lakesidecofc.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/468\/revisions\/469"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/lakesidecofc.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=468"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lakesidecofc.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=468"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/lakesidecofc.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=468"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}